boston Posts

Green is in vogue right now at Fenway – and not just on the 37 foot high Green Monster in left field.

It’s not a huge secret that I love the (2007 World Series Champion) Boston Red Sox. As a native of Massachusetts, the Red Sox are a lifestyle, more than a team for me.

Two weeks ago, the Red Sox season started against Oakland in Japan. And after what seemed like an endless roadtrip, opening two more parks, the Red Sox finally came home to Boston on Tuesday for Opening Day at Fenway. Rings were presented, Bill Buckner was forgiven and there was general merriment throughout the land (well, at least in Boston).

So what’s with the green? Yesterday, the Boston Globe reported that Fenway Park would be going Green. The 96 year-old ball park will install enough solar panels to heat 1/3 of the hot water needed in the park and reduce the park’s annual carbon dioxide emissions by 18 tons. As part of a $600,000 initiative, named Solar Boston, that was designed to increase the city’s solar engery output 50-fold by 2015.

The ultimate goal of Solar Boston is to increase the city’s solar output from 1/2 megawatt to 25 megawatts – enough to power over 3,000 Boston households. The initiative will identify other south-facing rooftops – ideal for the panels – and market the initialtive to more business and homes. Additional plans include installing the panels on many municipal buildings, including Brighton High School, The Strand Theatre, Tobin Community Center and West Roxbury Branch Library.

From a GlobalGiving perspective, this is a great little earth-changing (or earth-greening) idea. Kudos, city of Boston and Fenway Park.

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